Carrier for bottles having integral divider



A. J. WEISS CARRIER FOR BOTTLES HAVING INTEGRAL DIVIDER Dec. 29, 1964 Filed March 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Az-ruuz 3. Wm as A'Tio 2 H EYS Dec. 29, 1964 A. J. WEISS CARRIER FOR BOTTLES HAVING INTEGRAL DIVIDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1961 INVENTOR. AETHUE. 3. W953 TTORNEYS United States 3,163,321 CAREER FOR EUTTLES HAVENG INTEGRAL DMDER Arthur J. Weiss, Eergenfield, NJ assiwor to Continental Can (Iornpany, inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation or? New York Filed Mar. 22, E51, Ser. No. 97,545 9 Claims, (ill. 22i3-ll3} This invention constitutes an improvement on the separator of my co-pending application Serial No. 2,225, entitled Separator for Bottle Carrier, filed January 13, 1960, and this application constitutes a continuation-inpart of that prior application.

This invention relates in general to new and usefu improvements in the container art, and more particularly to a new and useful carrier for bottles which is provided with an integral separator or divider for separating adjacent ones of the bottles and thus preventing the engagement of the bottles with each other.

A carrier for containers, particularly bottles, normally includes a carton which may be passed around a plurality of bottles and engaged beneath the bottoms thereof, the bottles passing through suitable openings in the top portion of the carton. In the past, it has been proposed to provide a separate separator or divider which may be placed within the carton of the carrier for positioning between adjacent ones of the bottles to prevent the direct contact of the bottles with each other. The utilization of separate separators presents several problems from an economics standpoint. In the first place, the blank from which the carrier is folded must be formed separately of the separator blank. Secondly, the separator must be separately assembled with the bottles or other containers prior to the engagement of the carrier around the bottles. It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a carrier for bottles and like containers, which carrier includes a carton of the wrap-around type and the carton has formed integrally therewith a separator panel which extends longitudinally of the carrier for disposition between the two rows of containers disposed within the carrier, and the separator panel having struck therefrom transversely extending separator panels which extend between adjacent containers and the two rows of containers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel carrier for bottles and like containers, the carrier including a carton of the wrap-around type with one of the top or bottom Walls of the jacket having an intermediate portion reversely folded upon itself to define a longitudinally extending separator panel, and the longitudinally extending separator panel having struck therefrom a plurality of transversely extending separator panels whereby the separator panels may be disposed between adjacent ones of the containers carried by the carrier to prevent engagement of the containers with one another.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel carrier for bottles and like containers, the carrier being of the wrap-around type and having a top wall which is provided at the center thereof with an integral longitudinally extending separator panel projecting into the carrier for engagement between the containers of two rows of containers, and the longitudinally extending separator panel having transversely extending separator panels struck therefrom and extending therefrom for engagement between adjacent containers in the rows, the separator panels being initially engageable between the containers in the customary manner of wrapping of the jacket a carrier about the containers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel one-piece blank from which a carrier of the wrap-around 3,1633% Patented Dec. 29, 1964 type may be formed, the blank having end portions defining the various panels of the jacket of the carrier, and a central portion which is foldable upon itself to define a longitudinally extendable separator panel for engage ment between two rows of containers, and the longitudinally extendable separator panel having struck therefrom a plurality of transversely extendable separator panels which are hinged to the longitudinally extendable separator panel.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carrier formed in accordance with thi invention and particularly adapted for carrying bottles.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, and shows further the details of the carrier, bottles being shown within the carrier by phantom lines.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on a large scale taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2, and shows further the specific details of the carrier including the construction of the carton thereof and the separator panels carried by the carton.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken along the line 4--4 of FIGURE 2, and shows further the details of the separator panels.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a blank from which the carrier of FIGURE 1 is formed.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 1 of the drawing in detail, wherein there is illustrated the carrier which is the subject of this invention, the carrier being generally reterred to by the numeral 19. The carrier 10 is formed of two integral parts, a carton, generally referred to by the numeral 11, and a separator, generally referred to by the numeral 12. The specific details of the carrier 10 will be best understood by first making reference to a blank from which the carrier is formed, the blank being generally referred to by the numeral 13 and being illustrated in FIGURE 5.

The blank 13 is formed of a paper product, such as a paperboard, and has an elongated generally rectangular outline. The blank 13 is provided at the opposite ends thereof with a pair of panels 1d and 15 which combine to form a bottom wall to of the carton 11. The bottom wall forming panel 14 is set all from the remainder of the blank 13 by an interrupted fold line 17 and is provided with a plurality of generally trapezoidal outline openings 18 which terminate at their inner ends in slits 19, all of the slits 19 being in alignment and being parallel to the fold line 17. V

The bottom forming panel 17 is set off from the rest of the blank 13 at the end thereof opposite from the bottom formingpanel 14 by an interrupted fold line 26 which is identical with the fold line 17. The bottom forming.

panel 15 carries a plurality of latch members 21 which are hingedly connected tothe bottom forming panel 15 7 along an interrupted fold line 22 disposed remote from.

the fold line 2%) and extending transversely of the blank 13. The latch members 21 are of a conventional construction and each is provided with tabs 23 and 24 which project in opposite directions, the tabs 23 initially projecting into the material of the bottom forming panel 15.

The blank 13 includes a side wall panel 25 of the carton ill, the side wall panel 25 being disposed adjacent to the bottom forming panel 14 and extending between'the interrupted fold line 17 and a fold line 26. A similar side wall panel 27 is disposed adjacent the bottom forming panel and extends between the interrupted fold line and a fold line 28 which extends transversely of the blank 13. It is to be noted that an intermediate portion of the side wall panel 27 has been removed in preparing the drawing.

A pair of transverse fold lines 29 and 30 which are spaced on opposite sides of the center of the blank 13 sets off that portion of the blank 13 which becomes the separator 12. That portion of the blank 13 between the fold lines 26 and 29 defines a top wall panel 31, and that portion of the blank 13 between the fold lines 23 and 30 defines a top Wall panel 32. The top wall panels 31 and 32 are provided with suitable openings 33 for receiving the necks of bottles, such as the bottles B of FIGURE 2.

The top wall panels 31 and 32 are provided with flaps 34 which are cut therefrom along the fold lines 29 and 30 and which are connected to the top wall panels 31 and 32 only along fold lines 35 which extend normal to the fold lines 29 and 30. In the folded state of the blank 13, the flaps 34 project down into the carton 11 and the openings defined by the flaps 34 combine to form finger receiving openings 36 in the carton 11 to facilitate the carrying of the carrier 10 and the bottles B disposed therein.

The portion of the blank 13 which forms the separator '12 is provided with an interrupted central, transverse fold line 37,.the fold line 37 having only short portions which extend inwardly from opposite side edges of the blank 13. The inner, ends of the fold lines 37 are connected together by a C-shaped cut 38 which, together with the fold line 37 and the fold lines 29 and 30 set off two generally U-shaped panels 39 and 40.

The upper surfaces of the panels 39 and 40 are provided with adhesive 41 so that when the blank 13 is folded along the fold line 37, and the panel 40 brought into faceto-face engagement with the panel 39, the two may be adhesively connected together to form a single longitudi nally extending separator panel 42, as is best shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. It is to be noted that the upper portion of the longitudinally extending separator panel 42 is of a double thickness, whereas the lower portion thereof is of a single thickness. When the panel 40 is folded into face-to-face engagement with the panel 39, there results a generally rectangular panel 43 which has the upper half thereof outlined by the panel 40 and the lower half thereof projecting below the panel 41 of which it is an extension.

The upper portion of the panel 43 is provided with a out line 44 which extends transversely of the blank 13 and which is disposed along the upper edge of the panel 43. A similar cut line 45 is disposed parallel with the cut line 44, but is spaced above the bottom edge of the panel 43. A centrally located zig-zag cut 46 extends betwee the cut lines 44 and 45.

At the opposite ends of the cut lines 44 and 45, there are oppositely directed fold lines 47 which extend longitudinally of the blank 13. An arcuate out line 48 terminates at the inner end of each of the fold lines 47 and has its outer end terminating in alignment with the cut lines 44 and 45. Each of the arcuate cut lines 48has the outer end thereof joined by a cut line 49 which is disposed in alignment with either. the cut line 44 or the cut line 45. The cut lines 49 are connected together by a generally C-shaped cut line 50. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that there has been cut from the panel 43 a pair of transverse separator panels, generally referred to by the numerals 51 and 52, which may be folded out of the plane of the panel 43 and disposed in plane's normal to the plane of the panel 43. "The transversely extending separator panels 51, 52 are hingedly connected to the panel 43 along the fold lines 47 with one-half of each of the transversely extending separator panels 51, 52 extending to opposite sides ofthe plane of the longi-.

tudinally extending separator panel 42. It is noted that by separating the two transversely extending separator panels 51, 52 utilizing a zig-zag cut line 46, the over-all length of the longitudinally extending separator panels 51, 52 is greater than the'length of the portion of the panel 43 from which the transversely extending separator panels 51 and 52 are struck.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular wherein it will be seen that after the blank 13 has been initially folded along the fold line 37 and the panels 39 and 40 secured together, the blank 13 may be folded around a plurality of the bottles B and the bottom forming panels 14 and 15 folded beneath the bottles to define the bottom wall 16. The latch members 31 each has the tab 23 thereof engaged in the end of the opening 18 adjacent the free edge of the bottom forming panel 14, after which the latch members 31 are folded so that the terminal tabs 24 thereof project through the slits 19 to lock together the bottom forming panels 14 and 15 into a rigid unit in the form of the bottom wall 16.

In order to provide clearance for the bases of the bottles B, each of the side wall panels 25 and 27 is provided with a generally C-shaped cut 53 which extends along the respective one of the interrupted fold lines 17 and 20. A pair of cut lines 54 extend from each of the C-shaped cuts 53 generally normal to the respective fold lines 17 and 20 with the cut lines 54 flaring as they extend remote from their associated cut lines 53. Also, there is an elongated central cut line 55 disposed intermediate the cut lines 54. As a result, each of the bottom forming panels 14 is provided for each of the bottles to be carried thereby, a projection 56 which extends outwardly of the associated side wall 25 and 27 and forms a seat for a portion of the bottom of the associated bottle B. At the same time, the cut lines 54 and 55 provide for bowing of the lower portion of each of the side wall panels 25 and 27 adjacent the bottom wall 16 to receive the bases of the bottles.

It is to be noted that the panels 39 and 40 are provided with cut-outs 57 which are aligned with the flaps 34 and are disposed on opposite sides of the fold lines 29 and 3t therefrom. The purpose of the cut-outs 57 is to provide openings for receiving ones fingers projecting through the finger openings 36.

In the formation of the carrier 10, as was previously described, the panels 39 and 40 are folded into face-toface engagement and are secured together by the adhesive 41. The bottles B are provided in rows, and as each first set of six bottles approach a carrier applying station (not shown), the carrier is moved downwardly so that the separator 12 thereof will pass down between the two rows of bottles B. As the carrier 10 is continued to be moved downwardly, the necks of the bottles B, pass through the openings 33 in the top wall panels 31 and 32. The blank 13 is then folded down around the bottles so that the top wall forming panels 39 and 40 combine to define a top wall 53 of the carton 11. The bottom forming panels 14 and 15 are then folded beneath the bottoms of the bottles to define the bottomwall 16 and to be interlocked together to form a rigid package. It is to be understood that prior to the time the separator 12 is passed down between the two rows of bottles B, the transversely extending separator panels 51 and 52 are pushedoutof the plane of the panel 43 and extend normal to the plane of the plane of the panel 43 and extend parallel to each other. Thus, when the separator 12 is positioned between bottles of two rows of bottles, the longitudinally extending separator panel 43 extends between bottles in the two rows of bottles, and the transversely extending separator panels 51 and 52 extend between adjacent bottles in the two rows of bottles. In

I this manner, the bottles B are protected against engagement with other, which, in turn, prevents breakage of the bottles.

After the two bottom forming panels 14 and 15 have been folded to form the bottom wall 16 of the carrier 10, the flaps 23 are passed into the openings 18, and then the flaps 24 are passed through the slits '19 to rigidly interlock the bottom forming panels 14 and 15 together.

Although the invention has been specifically illustrated and described with respect to bottles, attention is directed to the fact that it may also be possible to direct the invention to use in conjunction with carriers of the can type. Furthermore, it is possible that the portion of the blank from which the separator is formed may be disposed at an end of the blank and if so positioned, could be in the form of a single layer. Also, when it is desirable to form the connection between the free ends of the blank at the top of the carrier 10, the partition could be formed on the bottom wall of the carton 11. This practice would be primarily limited to those instances where the containers, particularly cans, can be inverted and the carrier wrapped thereabout.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example carrier construction disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new:

1. A one-piece carrier for holding bottles and like containers in rows, said carrier comprising a pair of spaced side walls and connecting walls extending between and connected to respective edges of said side walls, one of said connecting walls being for-med of two wall panels disposed substantially in edge-to-edge relation and having a longitudinally extending separator panel extending from therebetween into the interior of the carrier for positioning between rows of containers, and a plurality of transversely extending separator panels struck from said longitudinally extending separator panel and freely projecting to opposite sides thereof for positioning between adjacent containers in the rows of containers, each transversely extending separator panel extending through and projecting generally equi-distant to opposite sides of said longitudinally extending separator panel, each of said transversely extending separator panels having a generally zig-zag end whereby the combined over-all lengths of said transversely extending separator panels being greater than the length of that portion of said longitudinally extending separator from which said transversely extending separators are formed.

2. A one-piece carrier for holding bottles and like containers in rows, said carrier comprising a pair of spaced side walls and connecting walls extending between and connected to respective edges of said side walls, one of said connecting walls being formed of two wall panels each having an edge substantially parallel to and distal from its respective side Wall connecting edge, said two wall panels being disposed substantially in edge-to-edge relation and having a longitudinally extending separator panel extending from therebetween into the interior of the carrier for positioning between rows of containers, said longitudinally extending separator panel including two panel members integrally connected to respective ones of said wall panels substantially entirely along respective said distal edges of said wall panels and integrally connected to each other, one of said panel members being generally of an inverted U shape with a central portion thereof removed and forming an extension of the other of said panel members, and said panel members being secured together in face-to-face relation.

3. A one-piece carrier for holding bottles and like containers in rows, said carrier comprising a pair of spaced side walls and connecting walls extending between and connected to respective edges of said side walls, one of said connecting walls being formed of two wall panels disposed substantially'in edge-to-edge relation and having U shape with a central portion thereof removed and form ing an extension of the other of said panel members, and said panel members being secured together in face-to-face relation, said one panel member outlining a part of said other panel member generally conforming to the size and outline of said extension, said other panel member part and said extension defining a separator panel portion, and a plurality of transversely extending separator panels struck from said separator panel portion for positioning between adjacent containers in rows of containers and the other of said connecting walls is a bottom wall, said bottom wall being formed of two terminal panels interlocked together.

'4. The carrier of claim 3 wherein each transversely extending separator panel extends through and projects generally equi-distant to opposite sides of said longitudinally extending separator panel.

5. The structure of claim 2 wherein a plurality of transversely extending separator panels are struck from said extension and each projects generally equi-distant to opposite sides of said extension for positioning between adjacent containers in rows of containers.

6. A sheet material carrier for a plurality of articles such as bottles and the like, comprising a separator panel formed from a pair of joined centrally located upstanding separator sections, separator panels integral with at least one of said separator sections and extending laterally of opposite sides of said separator sections for separating a plurality of article receiving compartments at each side of said separator panel, said separator panels extending along opposite sides of an intermediate article receiving compartment at one side of said separator sections and being struck from material of one of said separator sections located between said opposite sides of said intermediate compartment, said separator panels including mutually offset projecting portions extending in excess of one-half of the width of said intermediate compartment, and panel means adapted to form carrier compartment enclosing panels extending from integral junctions with margins of said separator sections for enclosing opposite ends of said compartments and also outer sides of said compartments opposite from said separator panels.

7. A one-piece carrier for holding bottles and like containers in rows, said carrier comprising a pair of spaced side walls and connecting walls extending between and Connected to respective edges of said side walls, one

of'said connecting walls being formed of two wall panels disposed substantially in edge-wedge relation and having a longitudinally extending separator panel extending from therebetween into the interior of the carrier for positioning between rows of containers, said longitudinally extending separator panel including two panel members integrally connected to each other and to said wall panels, one of said panel members being generally of an inverted U shape with a central portion thereof removed and forming an extension of the other of said panel members,

and said panel members being secured together in faceto-face relation, said one panel member outlining a part of said other panel member generally conforming to the size and outline of said extension, said other panel member part and said extension defining a separator panel portion, and a plurality of transversely extendingseparator panels struck from said separator panel portion only and extending through said other panel member part for positioning between adjacent containers in rows of'containers. V a i 8. In a carrier for holding bottles and like containers in a row, a longitudinally extending separator panel, said longitudinally extending separator panel including two panel members integrally connected to each other, one of said panel members being of a generally inverted U shape with a central portion thereof being removed and forming an extension of the other of said panel members, said panel members being secured together in face-to-face relation, said one panel member outlining a part of said other panel member generally conforming to the size and outline of said extension, said other panel member part and said extension defining a separator panel port-ion, and a transversely extending separator panel struck from said separator panel portion for positioning between adjacent containers in rows of containers.

9. In the carrier of claim 8, said transversely extending separator panel extending through and projecting generally equi-distant to opposite sides of said longitudinally extending separator panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/33 Troyk. 12/42 Fin 1. 220l13 6/46 Wesselman 220l13 6/57 Ringler. 6/58 Chidsey 22940 3/59 Forrer 220-116 X 8/60 Ganz 22940 12/60 Phillips.

5/62 Ganz.

FOREIGN PATENTS 12/ 59 Great Britain.

Examiners. 

1. A ONE-PIECE CARRIER FOR HOLDING BOTTLES AND LIKE CONTAINERS IN ROWS, SAID CARRIER COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED SIDE WALLS AND CONNECTING WALLS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO RESPECTIVE EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS, ONE OF SAID CONNECTING WALLS BEING FORMED OF TWO WALL PANELS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY IN EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATION AND HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SEPARATOR PANEL EXTENDING FROM THEREBETWEEN INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CARRIER FOR POSITIONING BETWEEN ROWS OF CONTAINERS, AND A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SEPARATOR PANELS STRUCK FROM SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SEPARATOR PANEL AND FREELY PROJECTING TO OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF FOR POSITIONING BETWEEN ADJACENT CONTAINERS IN THE ROWS OF CONTAINERS, EACH TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SEPARATOR PANEL EXTENDING THROUGH AND PROJECTING GENERALLY EQUI-DISTANT TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SEPARATOR PANEL, EACH OF SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SEPARATOR PANELS HAVING A GENERALLY ZIG-ZAG END WHEREBY THE COMBINED OVER-ALL LENGTHS OF SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SEPARATOR PANELS BEING GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THAT PORTION OF SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SEPARATOR FROM WHICH SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SEPARATORS ARE FORMED. 